Matthew 21:36
Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. Matthew 21:36
“Again, he sent other servants, ‘greater, the first’, and they did to them as thus.” (CG)
In the previous verse, Jesus referred to the treatment of the servants sent to the vinedressers. They were scourged, killed, and stoned. Jesus continues the thought, “Again, he sent other servants, ‘greater, the first’.”
Two words should be considered. The first is allos, other. It refers to another of the same kind. These servants are in the same category as those who were previously sent. If they were in a different category, the Greek word heteros would have been used.
The second word is pleión. It signifies a comparative, such as greater in number, greater in quality, more abundant, etc. It is used in the greater-than-quality sense in Matthew, such as righteousness greater than the scribes and Pharisees is needed to enter the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 5:20). It is used this way when making a comparison to Jonah (Matthew 12:41) and Solomon (Matthew 12:42). Jesus is greater than them.
What seems likely is that if Jesus is making a comparison, it would be to the pre-exilic and post-exilic prophets. The post-exilic prophets would be “greater” than the pre-exilic prophets because they had greater revelation, for example, in having the word of the previous prophets fulfilled.
As such, they stood in a greater position of knowing the reliability of the word of God, both in judgment and in mercy. There is no reason to assume there were only “more” servants sent either to the vinedressers in the parable or to the prophets after the exile. A good example of this is found in Numbers 22:15 –
“And he added yet, Balak, sending commanders greater and being enweighed from these.” (CG).
This “greater than” is certainly seen in the final prophet of the Old Testament –
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11
In that verse, a different word, megas, signifying greater, is used, providing extra weight to this idea. Israel had been exiled. They should have known better, and yet, even after the exile, the maltreatment continued, as Jesus indicates, “and they did to them as thus.” This is explicitly recorded in Matthew 17:11-13 –
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.”
This, therefore, is the likely meaning of Jesus’ words here. The Bible does not explicitly focus on the maltreatment of the post-exilic prophets outside of John, but Jesus’ words are certainly inclusive of him.
Life application: The Old Testament records maltreatment of the prophets at various times. In Jeremiah 26, the prophet Urijah escaped from King Jehoiakim but was captured, brought back, and put to the sword. The priests of the Lord, including Ahimelech, who inquired of the Lord for David, were put to the sword by Saul through the hand of Doeg.
The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah in 2 Chronicles 24, prophesying to the people who rejected His word. King Joash had Zechariah stoned to death. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah exclaimed to the Lord that the children of Israel had “killed Your prophets with the sword.”
These and other such examples show that the words of Jesus are fulfilled just as the parable proclaims. Despite this overwhelming evidence recorded in Scripture, the Expositor’s Greek Testament unfathomably says –
“The husbandmen treat the messengers in the most barbarous and truculent manner: beating, killing, stoning to death; highly improbable in the natural sphere, but another instance in which parables have to violate natural probability in order to describe truly men’s conduct in the spiritual sphere.”
How can it be “highly improbable in the natural sphere” if the Bible explicitly records it is so, including in Jesus’ words of the previous verse? These, along with verse 37, are explicit references to the ill treatment of the Lord’s people.
Understanding this, be careful not to just accept “scholarly” comments as if they are correct and reliable. Jesus’ parables do not “violate natural probability.” Rather, they are given to reveal exactly what has been going on, or what will occur. They are a unique and marvelous way of conveying information that is reliable and targeted.
Lord God, may we never dismiss what is recorded in Your word as unreliable, questionable, or fanciful. Rather, Your word stands as a witness to what You are doing in the world. Thank You for the sure and reliable word You have given us. Amen.
